Genex Power has tapped PCL Construction as its preferred engineering, procurement and construction contractor for the up to 775 MW first stage of the Bulli Creek solar project being developed in southeast Queensland.
Renewable energy and storage developer Genex Power has entered into an early contractor involvement agreement with Canada-headquartered PCL Construction for its Bulli Creek solar farm with the parties to now work together to design and scope the full specification for the project.
Genex said the agreement will lead to terms being agreed later in the year for a full form engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract for the project being developed about 150 kilometres southwest of Toowoomba in Queensland’s Western Downs region.
“At up to 775 MW, the Bulli Creek Solar Farm is expected to be the largest solar farm connected to the National Electricity Market which makes the selection of our construction contractor critical and an important development milestone,” Genex CEO Craig Francis said.
“PCL is a globally reputable EPC contractor in the large-scale solar industry, having installed a total of 3,044 MWdc globally and 474 MWdc in Australia, with another 631 MWdc capacity currently in construction in Australia.”
“During the tender process, we were particularly impressed with PCL’s on-the-ground capability in Australia and their impressive safety record.”
Genex and its partner J-Power, which bought the Bulli Creek solar and battery project in 2022 from co-developer Solar Choice, are working towards a final investment decision on the project by the second half of 2024.
The development rights for Bulli Creek extend to 2 GW of capacity, with the project’s planning, environmental and heritage approvals already secured. The original plan was to prioritise the delivery of a standalone battery energy storage system, but the initial stage of the project will now comprise up to 775 MW of solar capacity after Genex landed a long-term off-take deal with Fortescue to supply its proposed hydrogen operations at Gibson Island.
The agreement with Fortescue, announced in late 2023, is for 337.5 MW over a 25-year timeline.
Genex said the agreement with Fortescue would provide about 75% of the contracted revenue stream to support the first stage of Bulli Creek, and it was in talks with other parties about offtake deals that “may allow the initial capacity of the project to be increased up to 775 MW.”